Anger is a natural human emotion. However, many people have difficulty managing the intensity and frequency of their angry reactions. They may also say or do things during a peak of anger that they later regret.

Cognitive-behavior therapy can help people better understand their angry reactions and learn coping strategies to change thoughts and behaviors in order to reduce angry behavior and feel more in control. Sometimes people who have problems controlling anger tend to ignore early warning signs of irritability and resentment until they are out of control. For these individuals, learning to monitor irritability and resentment and to use these feelings as cues to take action to get their needs met, including by speaking up effectively and assertively with others, can help them reduce and eliminate angry outbursts.